John Wayne: The mere mention of his name produces images of courage and patriotism.

The life story of John Wayne began in the small central Iowa town of Winterset. He was born Marion Robert Morrison on May 26, 1907, the son of Clyde and Mary Brown Morrison.

His father, Clyde, was a pharmacist who worked on the south side of Winterset’s historic town square. In his youth, Clyde attended nearby Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. John Wayne described his father as “The kindest, most patient man I ever knew.” Wayne’s mother Mary was of Irish descent, and Duke said, “She was a tiny, vivacious red-headed bundle of energy.” Their modest four-room home has been restored to reflect its appearance in 1907, the year of the actor’s birth.

Since the John Wayne Birthplace Society was established in 1982, more than a million visitors have journeyed to historic Madison County to tour the birthplace home. Guests have included President Ronald Reagan, movie legend Maureen O’Hara, Wayne’s widow and all of his children, and fans from 50 states and 40 foreign countries.

With the opening of the 6,100 square foot John Wayne Birthplace Museum adjacent to the home, visitors now have the opportunity to see the largest diversified exhibit of John Wayne artifacts in existence, including original movie posters, film wardrobe, scripts, contracts, letters, artwork and sculpture, and even one of his last customized automobiles.

The only museum in the world dedicated to John Wayne, the facility naturally includes a movie theater. Relax in comfortable seats (originally from Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood) and watch a documentary on Duke’s phenomenal film career. Be sure to explore our gift shop’s wide assortment of John Wayne merchandise perfect for souvenirs or great new items to add to your collection. You’ll be fascinated as you linger and learn about John Wayne the actor, the private citizen and an American legend.

Visitor Reviews

Always a great place to visit…

Always a great place to visit, wonderful town and people, museum progressing nicely looking forward to the completion. John Wayne Birthday celebration was terrific as always, done very well. - Michael P.

2015-09-24T19:44:40+00:00

Always a great place to visit, wonderful town and people, museum progressing nicely looking forward to the completion. John Wayne Birthday celebration was terrific as always, done very well. - Michael P.

… take time to explore Winterset…

A great place to visit if you are a John Wayne fan! The museum is nice and the volunteer tour guides are great. After the tour take time to explore Winterset. The downtown courthouse square is beautiful and the stately old homes in this tidy community are beautiful. - John W.

2015-09-24T19:46:04+00:00

A great place to visit if you are a John Wayne fan! The museum is nice and the volunteer tour guides are great. After the tour take time to explore Winterset. The downtown courthouse square is beautiful and the stately old homes in this tidy community are beautiful. - John W.

… they did John Wayne proud.

We were there for the grand opening and it was fabulous!!! We met and spoke with Aissa, his daughter and also Chris Mitchum, Robert Mitchum's son. She was the sweetest lady and cried when they spoke of her dad. It was precious. Later had dinner with all of them with Marty Stuart and Connie Smith as entertainment. It was a great time. I highly recommend going, they did John Wayne proud. Also visit his homeplace while there. - Nessie56

2016-01-06T19:43:08+00:00

We were there for the grand opening and it was fabulous!!! We met and spoke with Aissa, his daughter and also Chris Mitchum, Robert Mitchum's son. She was the sweetest lady and cried when they spoke of her dad. It was precious. Later had dinner with all of them with Marty Stuart and Connie Smith as entertainment. It was a great time. I highly recommend going, they did John Wayne proud. Also visit his homeplace while there. - Nessie56

Find Us

The John Wayne Birthplace & Museum is located in Winterset, Iowa, about 35 miles southwest of Des Moines, which is the closest commercial airport. Winterset lies just off two major Interstate highways, I-80 (east/west) and I-35 (north/south). Click for more directions.